Our baby has a birthday today. We were living in Idaho when I delivered this 10-pound, cuddle-bug spud. He arrived after just a couple of hours in the birthing chair, which was a fairly new contraption at the time. I knew he was a boy, even though I’d never had an ultrasound. My belly was […]
Memorial Day in America – How We Can Honor the Fallen
America is in such turmoil these days. We fight about everything. We demean each other, we shout in protest, we sue each other, we shoot each other. We have become so hateful. On this Memorial day weekend, when I think of all the soldiers and airman who have died fighting for our freedom and peace, […]
The Best Gift Dad Ever Gave Me
I’ve often heard that earthly fathers are our first impression of what God is like. If we have a devoted, loving dad, it’s easier to accept a benevolent, personal, divine creator. If our father is aloof, abusive, or absent, it’s more difficult to believe in a loving heavenly Father. In my life, I’ve seen that this […]
WHO’S ON FIRST (a birthday)
Today is our firstborn’s birthday. Every new baby ignites in his parents an enormous passion and a fierce sense of protection and provision. It just wells up, usually accompanied by tears. The first time that happens, however….your defenses are stripped away, your heart is laid bare, and you realize, maybe for the first […]
What Color Are You?
February is Black history month. Which got me thinking about the African-American people in my life. And I realized something. They’re not really black. Not like the HEX code color #000000 anyway. According to the Home Depot color chart, my friend Sandra is Cherry Chocolate. My friend Amber is Brilliant Oak. The wife […]
The Lord (kind of) of the Rings – a Christmas engagement story
I wrote this six years ago, and it warms my heart every Christmas… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My nephew Sean became engaged two nights ago. Very exciting! His bride-to-be Tori is great! Sean researched diamonds before purchasing a ring, became familiar with the four “C”s and experienced the maze of choosing […]
9/11: Where Were You? (and a reminder)
The morning of 9/11, 2001, I had just arrived at the gym. I was told at the front desk that the aerobics class I normally took on Tuesdays was canceled because the instructor was stuck in Washington D.C. Her flight had been delayed, for – to us – an unknown reason. Fifteen minutes later I […]
Caregiving – When I Feel Like My Best is Not Enough
(I wrote this four years ago. After an emotional caregiving day with the folks yesterday, I began to write about it. Then I came across this post and realized I already had.) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Most people who check […]